Looking at the sun during an eclipse

Question

how does an xray and a solar filter differ for looking at the sun during an eclipse?

Answer 1

The solar filter allows you to observe the sun without damaging your eye.

As for the x-ray filters read on:Filters comprised of submicron thickness metal-polymer foils have been successfully flown on soft x-ray astronomy

missions, including ROSAT, EUVE and Yohkoh. The metals block the visible light and shape the bandpass in the soft x-ray

region of the spectrum, while the polymer serves as a structural support for the ultrathin metal foil and also shapes the

transmission of the filter in the region of interest. Carbon-containing polymeric films are especially useful for blocking

unwanted EUV radiation longer than 4OOA wavelength. In the 1980’s, polycarbonate (Lexan) was the polymer of choice

because it proved much stronger than materials previously used, such as polypropylene and Parylene. In the 1990’s,

polyimide is becoming the material of choice because it is stronger yet. Table 1 compares the strength of common polymers

prepared as bulk samples. The table suggests that polyimide offers much greater strength, and therefore filters can be

thinner, thus improving their transmission characteristics. Polyimide is also desirable for solar astronomy because it is stable

across a wider temperature range than the other common filter materials.